Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will jointly operate the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL). The state cabinet took a decision in this regard on Wednesday. This ambitious project comprises an eight-lane sea link which will join Sewree in Mumbai and Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai. This eight-lane sea link includes 22 km Road Bridge for connecting these points in Mumbai.

MMRDA is appointed as a fund raising body by state to conclude this project of worth Rs 7600 crore. The initial cost of the project is raised by Rs 1700 crore due to the addition of two more lanes in the original six lane plan of MTHL. The project is expected to complete by five years as indicated by state Public works minister Anil Deshmukh. Major permissions like environmental clearance from centre and security permission from BARC has already been taken to complete this project.

While discussing the project detail, the state cabinet also considered other options to complete the project. These options include setting up a special purpose vehicle for the project or to allot it entirely to the MSRDC. But finally it was decided to hand over the project to MMRDA given to its fund raising ability and early assurance to complete it by time. The MMRDA is expected to raise funds through debt from some international financial institutions such as the World Bank or the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

The state would recover the money in three ways. These ways are toll charges levied on vehicles plying on this corridor, improvement fees levied in Uran and Khopate, and development rights taken from the government for the Nhava belt.

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is already executing 18 skywalks in the city, including one between Churchgate and CST. MSRDC has shown interest in the project claiming that its skywalks will be far superior to those being erected by MMRDA. But MSRDC officials failed to convince state cabinet and finally lost this ambitious project to MMRDA.